


Sensory Overload

by SomeStoryWriter



Series: Jiheishou - Autistic!Yuuri One Shots [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Angst and Romance, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Katsuki Yuuri, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Hot Springs & Onsen, M/M, Meltdown, One Shot Collection, Self-Acceptance, Sensory Overload, Stimming, Supportive Victor Nikiforov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-22 10:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11378214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeStoryWriter/pseuds/SomeStoryWriter
Summary: Viktor knew Yuuri by now. He knew when his partner was excited by something, or stressed, or tired. And he knew when he was sensory overloaded.





	Sensory Overload

**Author's Note:**

> Side information:
> 
> -People with autism can be very sensitive. This means that every stimulus (sound, touch, smell, etc.) enters the brain unfiltered. When there are too many stimuli, the brain gets 'overloaded', and this is called sensory overload.
> 
> -Sensory overload, along with other things, such as disruption of routine, can lead to a 'meltdown'. This can be expressed in many ways. Some get very angry or upset, others turn into themselves and temporarily cut themselves off from the outside world. Using/processing speech may also become difficult or impossible, causing the person to go nonverbal. In general, meltdowns are very exhausting.
> 
> -Every person with autism is different, and the things described are not necessarily the case for everyone.

Viktor knew Yuuri by now. He knew when his partner was excited by something, or stressed, or tired. And he knew when he was sensory overloaded.

The first thing he noticed was how Yuuri's eyes darted everywhere, unfocused. The reporters were visibly bothered by the lack of eye contact. Their irritation crept into their voices as well as Yuuri kept asking them to repeat the questions. On top of that, his answers were getting shorter and shorter, and grammatically incorrect as well. But Viktor was the only one who noticed all the other signs: the subtle rocking back and forth, the way he continuously scratched his upper legs, the tense muscles in his back.

Today had been a rather Yuuri-unfriendly day. Breakfast had been postponed due to an unexpected visit from the journalists who were supposed to interview them later that day. When they did eat, it was something they'd bought in the canteen by the skating rink. The texture of the food was all wrong, but Yuuri ate it without complaining.

Next up was a figure skating introductory course, given by Yuuri himself. He did this every once in a while, as it was a win-win situation: the town received more tourists and he was able to info dump about his special interest. Today, however, the group consisted of a bunch of women who just wouldn't stop touching him. "Were you nervous during the finals?" one asked, touching his shoulder. "Do you train every day?" another wanted to know, touching his arm. Touching, touching, touching. Viktor could tell how uncomfortable it made Yuuri, so he skated over to the group to serve as a distraction. It worked. Now they were touching _him_.

Lunch was even worse than breakfast. They were again condemned to the canteen, only this time it was a lot more crowded. Yuuri had put in earpieces to block out the noise, but he had to take them out when people came to him for autographs and such. And, again, they touched him. Why was it so hard for people to keep a little distance? Even Viktor couldn't touch him as he pleased, let alone some random strangers.

And then there was the press conference. Which was held at a different time than agreed upon. And at a different location. And with twice as many reporters as planned. As for the questions, those were unexpected as well. "How do you feel social media had influenced the competitive spirit in figure skating?" Too vague. Too abstract. Too many eyes demanding an answer.

Viktor placed a hand on Yuuri's shoulder and inwardly scolded himself when it made the other tense even more. "If it's too much, we'll leave," he whispered in his ear. "It's been a messy day. There's no need to push yourself any further."

Yuuri nodded. He turned towards the reporters. "I'm afraid we'll have to end here. Viktor and I both have rather strict training programs to stick to." The reporters protested, but he stood up from the table anyway.

"Mister Nikiforov, what exactly is your relationship with Mister Katsuki at the moment?"

Viktor smiled as he held Yuuri's coat up for him. "Well, I must admit that lately I've been rather... engaged with Yuuri. He takes up a lot of my attention, you see."

"There are rumours that you and Mister Katsuki are engaged."

"That's what I just said."

"Yes, but, I meant 'engaged to be married'. Are you and Mister Katsuki romantically involved? What exactly are your feelings towards him?"

"Well, he is quite a powerful Eros, isn't he?"

"But..."

"That'll be all." He followed Yuuri out of the room. "Hey, how are you holding up?" he asked once they were walking side by side along the road.

Yuuri only shook his head.

"That bad, huh? Let's get you home soon."

They walked in silence. Yuuri started flapping his hands, but not out of excitement. He went on to scratching his arms, until Viktor stopped him. "Don't. You'll hurt yourself. Here." He handed him a bean bag instead.

"I… I… I'm… I… Mm… S… S…"

"You can write it down if you want. Or you can text it to me."

Yuuri groaned in frustration. He hated going nonverbal. It was never convenient, and it irritated him to no end.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up so much. We're almost home. Take a nap, or relax in the _onsen_ ; do whatever's necessary _._ " He noticed the shiver in Yuuri's breath and the tears in his eyes. He wrapped an arm around him, only to have the other jump away from him. "Sorry, I forgot..." It was such an instinctive reaction, to hug someone when they were upset. But he had to keep reminding himself to not do this with Yuuri.

As soon as they arrived at Yu-topia, Yuuri hurried to his bedroom. He didn't turn the lights on; he even closed the curtains. The light was hurting his head. He was in the process of putting on the softest clothes he could find when Viktor walked in. "Do you need anything?" he asked.

Yuuri shook his head, hoping Viktor would leave the room. He didn't. Yuuri groaned softly. As much as he loved Viktor, he could not have him around right now, or anyone for that matter. Sounds, including voices, hurt. Viktor's eyes were bright and made Yuuri's skin crawl with their intensity. On top of that, he could smell him. He didn't smell bad, it was just that Yuuri didn't want to smell anything at the moment. He wished he could yank his nerves out and not feel anything anymore.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Yuuri shook his head wildly. His face turned red. What if he had just insulted Viktor by so clearly not wanting him around? The thought brought tears from frustration to his eyes.

"I'll check in with you in half an hour, okay?" And with that, he left the room.

Yuuri crawled into his bed and tried to ignore the world. It didn't work too well: he could hear the people downstairs, the wind outside, his own breathing. He felt the weight of the blanket, the seams in his clothes, his own heartbeat. He had tried to explain to people what it was like, but few took him seriously. "Oh, I know, I'm super sensitive as well!" they'd say. "I don't like the sand on the beach, and I can't stand it when people yell at me!" Yuuri wondered if they truly understood what he was talking about. He wondered if they knew what it was like to notice everything, without trying to, without getting used to it.

* * *

Yuuri spent nearly an hour in the dark and silence. His mind cleared up, his body eased. He opened the curtains, but decided to keep his comfortable clothes on. He shuffled down the stairs and found both Viktor and his mother in the kitchen, cooking. "Smells good..."

"Ah, you're up!" Viktor continued stirring in a pan. "We thought you might prefer a familiar taste, so we're making katsudon."

"I'm teaching Viktor how to make it," his mother said.

"Might come in handy, don't you think? Someday, when you and I are living together, I do want to be able to spoil you."

"Viktor, the tonkatsu is burning!"

"Oh! Yuuri, have a seat while I rescue your meal."

Yuuri curled up in front of the low dinner table. He watched the other two move around the kitchen, and his stomach growled loudly to the scent of his favorite dish.

"My, my, we'd better hurry!" Viktor chanted. He carried the bowls over to the table and pressed a kiss to Yuuri's temple. "Take it easy tonight. There's no need to push your boundaries any further."

"I'm sor—"

"Let's eat! I'm starving! Here, taste this!" He grabbed the chopsticks and shoved a piece of tonkatsu into Yuuri's mouth. "How is it? Did I do any good?"

Yuuri chewed and nodded. "It's delicious."

"Yes!"

"Look, I'm sor—"

"Open up!" He shoved another bite into Yuuri's mouth.

"Viktor!"

"Yes?"

"I can finally speak again, so can I just say something without you interrupting me?"

"What do you mean?" He reached for the chopsticks again.

"Viktor!"

"Okay, okay. What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"Today... I'm sorry for breaking down like that."

Viktor opened his arms. "Can I hug you?"

Yuuri nodded and dove into Viktor's embrace.

"Yuuri?"

"Yes?"

"If I were to break my leg, would you be mad at me for having to recover?"

"Of course not."

"Then what are you apologizing for?"

"But I..."

"You've had a bad day. You've crossed your limits. It's only natural you'd need some rest. Don't make such a big deal out if it, silly." He squeezed him against his chest.

"But I walked out on those reporters."

"Those reporters were being inconsiderate. Even I got ticked off by them. Hey, love..." He held Yuuri's face between both his hands. "Most days are wonderful. And every now and then, there are also days like these. Nothing to be ashamed of."

"But I made you..."

"Shush." He squeezed his face between his hands. "The katsudon is getting cold. You can worry about insignificant things later. But right now, open up!"

"How does it taste, boys?" Yuuri's mother asked, joining them.

" _Oishiiyo. Vikutoru ni yoku oshieta ne_."

"I heard my name!" Viktor said, hugging Yuuri from the side. "My Japanese is improving!"

The other two laughed and they started on their katsudon.

"I'll clean off," Viktor said once they were finished. He swiftly collected the bowls and carried them to the kitchen.

Yuuri's mother leaned closer. "I want him as my son-in-law."

Yuuri laughed and blushed. "Mom, please!" He held his hand with the ring up. "I'm working on it."

"You'd better hold on to this guy, Yuuri. He really, really cares about you. Come here." She pulled him into a hug. "You know I've always wanted you to be happy. I've always hoped that one day, you'd find someone who accepts you for who you are, and won't force you to change or prove yourself. Someone who really, truly loves you. And I think you've found that someone."

"I have?"

"Yes. I think he's standing in our kitchen right now."

She let go of him and he stretched his limbs. "These meltdowns always leave me with muscle aches..."

"Not that strange. Why don't you relax for a bit in the _onsen_?"

"Did I hear someone say ' _onsen_ '?" Viktor rejoined them at the table.

"Yeah, I'm a bit sore. Will you join me?"

"Of course!" He pulled Yuuri up and they headed out.

* * *

"Ah..." Yuuri leaned his head back as the warm water washed away his pain.

"Does that feel good?"

"Definitely."

Viktor wrapped an arm around him and pulled him against his chest, to which Yuuri snuggled up. "My mom wants us to hurry up and get married already."

Viktor laughed. "You should have seen the look on her face when I asked her if she could teach me how to make katsudon, so I could make it for you in the future. She said that if she can't have me as her son-in-law, she'll just have to adopt me."

Yuuri laughed as well. "No pressure, mom."

They cuddled together in the warm water. Yuuri enjoyed the feeling of Viktor's arms around him, his heartbeat, his chest rising and falling. He didn't always curse his sensitivity. On moments like these, it made his world a little more colorful.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought we'd end on a positive note.
> 
> Something unclear? More information wanted/needed? Something you'd like me to write? Don't hesitate to leave a message!
> 
> Have a beautiful day!


End file.
